Senator hits out at consultancies’ lack of transparency
A Greens senator has decried the lack of transparency from consultancy firms, as a parliamentary inquiry delves into conflicts of interest in the industry.
Barbara Pocock said it was “shocking” firms were still not providing key details to a Senate inquiry examining consultancy firms.
The inquiry was set up after a tax advice scandal involving PwC, where a former partner passed on confidential government information to clients.
Hearings will resume on Tuesday, with executives from consultancy firms EY and Accenture to give evidence.
Senator Pocock, who sits on the committee, said more accountability was needed from the firms.
“There is an attitude there, which I’m hearing from whistleblowers, which is that those big four [consultancy firms] just hope this will all blow over .. and that they’ll be left to do their business as they choose,” she told ABC Radio on Tuesday.
“We’ve learned a lot about culture, about the business model and about regulation, all of which needs a lot of attention from the parliament and the government.”
PwC, EY, Deloitte and KPMG are considered the big four consultancy firms in Australia.
On Monday, the inquiry was told by Deloitte executives that an employee who shared confidential government information had been stood down from the engagement following an “inadvertent breach”.
However, Deloitte declined to say which government department was involved.
Senator Pocock said it was shocking the firm was not more up-front about the information.
“Given recent events with PwC, you would think being transparent, being honest to the parliament would be top of your objectives,” she said.
“The Australian people are saying to me and the Senate ‘We want to know what’s going on here, we want accountability’.”
Ahead of its appearance at the inquiry on Tuesday, EY recommended greater transparency around the tender and procurement process, with significant projects to be reviewed by an independent panel.
It also called for public disclosure of the management of conflicts of interest by Commonwealth entities and companies.
– AAP
